Inclinometer



A 30, 1938. B. M STAUNTQN 2,128,506

INCLINOMETER Filed July 14, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet l f 2 I Inventor A; Zltfdiguznfozz .63. Yuma" A iiorneys Aug. 30, 1938. B. M. STAUNTON INCLINOMETER Filed July 14, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J'y Z Inventor jg ff a. 6, flauni'an M Afiorneys Patented Aug. 30, 1938 STATES angst PATENT 3' Claims.

The present invention relates to inclinometers designed primarily for use upon air craft and has for its principal object to provide a chart upon which the degree of inclination of the air craft during its flight is recorded, both of a longitudinal and transverse character.

A further object is to provide a clock operated chart whereby to determine the exact time at which any deviation from the true horizontal position of the air craft occurs.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and installed in operative position upon the air craft, which embodies a convenient construction for removing and replacing the chart and which is otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the de tails of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which Figure l is a front elevational view.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view showing the mounting for the clock mechanism.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the scriber.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, and Figure '7 is a detail of one of the pivoted ends of the scriber supporting bracket.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates a substantially U-shaped bracket adapted for mounting in a suitable position upon the air craft, the bight portion of said bracket being formed into an upstanding base 6 having guide flanges l at its opposite side edges received in channels 8 of the base portion 9 of a clock case ID, the flanges l and channels 8 being of substantially dove-tailed construction as more clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings to provide for the removal of the clock-case by the rearward sliding movement thereof. The base portion 9 of the clock-case is secured to the base portion 6 of the bracket by means of set screws I.

The arms I2 of the bracket extend forwardly as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the draw- 5 and the upper ends of the legs i5 are also provided with flat heads l6 positioned flatly against the heads l3. The heads 53 and iii are formed with central openings l! within which a bolt it is inserted and secured in position by a wing nut Hi. The inner faces of the heads 63 and it are 10' also formed with annular channels 20 forming a raceway for a set of ball-bearings to provide antifriction means between said head. It will thus be apparent that the bracket 54 is pivoted to the bracket 5 for swinging in a longitudinal direction with respect to the air craft upon which the device is mounted.

The bight portion of the bracket M is enlarged as at 2| intermediate its ends and formed with a vertical slotted opening 22 for receiving a pendulum arm 23, said arm being secured to the bracket l4 intermediate the ends of the arm by a bolt and wing nut 24. The opposed faces of the pendulum arm and the inner walls of the slotted opening 22 are formed with annular channels 25 within which to receive ball bearings 26, the pendulum arm thus being supported for transverse swinging movement. The lower end of the pendulum arm is threaded as at 2'! for threadedly receiving a ball or weight 28 secured in vertically adjusted position by a lock nut 29.

The upper end of the. pendulum arm 23 is provided with a threaded opening 33 for threaded engagement by a reduced threaded extension 3! formed on a barrel 32 of a scriber device shown in detail in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The barrel 32 is open at each end, the end of the barrel opposite from the threaded extension 36 being provided with a threaded plug 33 having a central opening for slidably receiving a stem 34 extend ing entirely through the barrel. A collar 35 is secured to the stem within the barrel forming an abutment for one end of an expansible coil spring 36, the opposite end of said spring abutting the plug 33 whereby to yieldably urge the stem in a direction. toward the threaded extension SE.

The stem 33 is formed with a bore extending therethrough within one end of which is positioned a lead 3? frictionally held within the bore by a cap 38 threaded on the forward end of the stem. The bore at the rear end of the stem is internally threaded as shown at 39 for threadedly receiving a screw 40 having a manipulatinghead ii. The inner end of the screw 40 is provided witha plunger 42 engaging the lead to feed the lead forwardly. 55

Spaced outwardly from the base of the clock casing I9 is a chart 43 in disk form secured to a threaded extension M of the arbor of the clock, the chart accordingly being rotated by the clock mechanism.

As will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings the scriber is projected from the barrel 32 in a position for contacting the surface of the chart and accordingly any deviations of the air craft from a true horizontal plane, either in a longitudinal or transverse direction will be recorded upon the chart 43.

' It is believed the details of construction, manner of operation and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:- p

1. An inclinometer comprising a substantially U-shaped bracket adapted for mounting upon a vehicle transversely thereof, said bracket embodying arms inclined in a longitudinal direction, a clock mechanism mounted on the bight portion of said'bracket, a chart mounted for rotation on the arbor of the clock, a scriber having contact with said chart and means for supporting said scriber upon said bracket for transverse and-longitudinal swinging movement.

2. An inclinometer comprising a substantially U-shaped bracket adapted for mounting upon a vehicle transversely thereof, said bracket embodyvehicle, an upstanding base provided with for slidably receiving said flanges, a chart ing arms inclined in a longitudinal direction, a clock mechanism mounted on the bight portion of said bracket, a chart mounted for rotation on the arbor of the clock, a scriber having contact with said chart, a U-shaped bracket having its ends pivotally supported to the arms of said first named bracket for longitudinal swinging movement and a pendulum arm having its upper end. attached to said scriber, said arm being pivotally supported intermediate its ends to the bight portion of said last named bracket for transverse swinging movement.

, 3. An inclinometer comprising a U-shaped bracket adapted for mounting transversely of a base on the bracket havfianges, a clock having a inwardly positioned channels ing overhanging side mounted on the arbor of the clock for rotation therewith, a second U-shaped bracket having its arms pivotally secured to the arms of the first named bracket for longitudinal swinging movement, a slotted opening in the second named bracket, a pendulum arm pivotally supported intermediate its ends in said opening for transverse swinging movement, a scriber secured to the upper end of the arm and means carried by the scriber for yieldably urging the same into contact with the chart.

BRUCE M. STAUNTON. 

